Sergio had planned two funerals at once. Only eighteen hours apart, Robert's and Bella's funerals' were held with the utmost elegance and meaningful tears.
Robert's was with less of a crowd, but his had his favorite people attend, just how he had told Sergio in the first place. The first added to attendance, of course, Sage and Sergio, then came his official son-in-law Taylor and his siblings, Sergio's wife who he hadn't known as closely as Sergio himself but nonetheless important. Sara showed up surprisingly, by herself she paid her respects and left. Nurse Nana had brought the biggest bouquet of flowers of Robert's favorite colors, and his other hospital friends had been able to send cards.
Sage, though both numb and incredibly sore at the same time, prepared an elegant but simple speech, stating what everybody had already known, she loved and cared for him immensely and wouldn't have ever asked for a more awkward father. Sergio spoke about the times they had missed will be made up with the time he will keep him in his heart, Taylor spoke about the way he will always care for Sage the way Robert had, and Sophia spoke about the fruit snacks he had always ordered for her when she visited. Other attendees of the funeral were there to pay their respect's, which they did, and each took turns in shedding a few tears of other's memories with him.
His funeral had ended with his casket being covered with dirt, and with some strings pulled thanks to Taylor, flowers seeds thrown along. The flowers to grow will represent their memories of him living on.
Bella's funeral, on the other hand, required a much smaller casket, and definitely had more of a crowd. All of Taylor's family were there to attend his first born's death, and all had mourned for the loss of an innocent life. With the biggest crowd, they had to find a much more spacious funeral home, a florist who specialized in blue roses, and a caterer that wasn't related to them to cook authentic Italian food.
Bella, Italian for beautiful, was the name given to her by her father Taylor. Sage nor Taylor had prepared a speech, but Sergio definitely said what the parents weren't capable of at the time:
"Taylor and Sage's first born, Robert's first grandchild, Lana's first grandchild, and certainly God's piece of art, wasn't fit for the world we live in today. A soul of such innocence and pure beauty was sure to be tainted by the world none of us would be able to protect her from. Not even a day old, God had realized she was in need of a place only He would be able to provide for her. Though none of us got the chance to see her grow, her grandfather will take her under his wing in heaven and get another chance at watching over another baby girl. What happened was fate, and even if we choose not to accept it, Bella left us with another beautiful soul to make up for it, her baby brother Robert (named after the person holding her at this moment). So as we mourn for her, her brother will be loved enough to make up for her physical absence. Bella will never be replaced but always remembered." Just that moment as a tear had silently slivered down Sergio's aged-cheek, baby Robert had started to wail from the front row in Sage's arms, Taylor immediately reaching into the diaper bag for his prepared bottle of breast-milk.
It was nowhere near easy, but Taylor and Sage had dealt with the loss together, while both savoring the feel of first-time parents and going through all of Robert's firsts'.
***
Sage's POV
I roll my eyes as Taylor gives me a smirk, pointing to the baby monitor. The flashing light and baby Robert's plead is like music to my ears, not.
"Your turn." He says groggily, even with his eyes still closed.
I hear him chuckle tiredly as I creep out the door, careful not to trip. It isn't necessary considering Taylor had installed nightlights in every outlet so exactly that wouldn't happen to either of us, tired at night or wide-awake during midday.
I flick the lamp on as soon as I walk into the nursery, the exact nursery I had designed and messily purchased from Target. As my baby boy sees me lean over his crib to tend to him, his wailing simmers immediately, and his trembling lip slows to a slight quiver. His mutton-covered fists reach toward me like it's natural, just as the mother instincts were. After breast-feeding and changing his diaper I lay his head against my chest, his soft ear-shell right against my heart and the rhythm made of pure adoration for him lulling him to soft slumber for the third time tonight. A spitting image of my father with a dash of Italian seasoning, he has quickly become my world.
I know he's asleep, but I keep him in my arms anyway. Sleeping has been hard, but moments like this are one-hundred percent worth the messy diapers and long nights.
Robert stirs a bit in my arms as I walk towards his crib, not putting him in yet. Instead I stare at the clay square hanging up next to it, Bella's tiny imprinted hands and feet pressed artistically into the clay. Her full name also painted onto it, by some artist Sergio knows. It was a gift from Sergio, and we keep it here above her brother's crib because this is where we are most. Even more often than the kitchen.
"Hey..." Taylor sneaks up behind me. Without warning, he steals my baby boy from me and kisses my cheek lightly. "Don't cry cara mia. You remember what Apa' said?"
I cross my arms over my chest insecurely after wiping the fallen water drop away. "Y-yes." I sniffle.
He raises a messy eyebrow, neither one of us have much time nowadays to take care of our hygiene. "And what was that?"
I sniffle again. "T-to remember we still have her."
"And?" He asks with a sly smile.
"There's more where Bella came from."
Despite my tears, I laugh with Taylor. "That's right."
I kiss him on the lips, ignoring both of our horrible breaths, and try to stop the stream of tears that come whenever I think about the conditions I lost her in.
"It's s-still hard for me to understand Taylor."
"I know." He wraps a free arm around me, kissing my forehead repeatedly. "It is for me too, but you don't need to understand it right now. Just know you have a husband that loves you unconditionally and a baby boy who needs your breast milk." I laugh. "Your mother is even starting to come around, you have two little sisters and a huge Italian family to let babysit so they stop blowing up our phones for baby pictures." I smile a watery smile, one Taylor has seen far too often for the past six months.
I nod my head sheepishly, staring down at our baby boy, "I will never forget."
"Good. You'll never not have me, okay Sage?"
Mr brown eyes meet his intense green eyes, and the tears stop. Just like that.
"Okay Taylor."
"Now take our son." He smiles easily, tired eyes brighter than when he first walked in, "he needs another diaper change."
***
YOU ARE READING
Arranged Baby
Romansa"When God gives you too much of something, he evens it out somewhere else." Taylor has it all. Looks, ladies, and his father's wealth to live off of. Nothing he has was worked for, so imagine the shock he feels when he finds himself working for a wo...
